Our Finest Hour
Bael found his comrade's incessant questions to be very annoying at this point. Barbas continued "Forgive me, sir, but honestly are you sure you are not doubting the Human race just a bit?" Bael smirked without looking at him "Don't go weak on me now, Barbas. This is our finest hour. Humanity will be crushed under our heel like sand." Barbas got in his way, a daring move, and proclaimed "Do not doubt the power of the Human spirit! They may be weak but they are clever." Bael sighed and looked up at him "I have something to combat such a force." Barbas laughed out loud at this bold statement "Oh really? What is it then? More Hell-Hunters? What possible weapon could be more powerful than morality?" Bael smirked "The greatest weapon in the world is one you would only need to fire once. I've been firing the same weapon over and over again for the past 1,000 years. Clearly, it is not the greatest. However, on that note, who ever said the greatest weapon in the world was also the most efficient? Hell will rape Earth and turn it into it's slave, as it will with every other plane of existance there is. I will own everything." At this, he shoved past Barbas, ignoring any more imputent questions he could offer. It has begun. Cardinals' Headquarters, Hell-Hunter Apartment Section The Hell-Hunters met in Nori's room to discuss plans on what to do. When Sadow heard the news from Greed everything was turned upside down. "They're attacking in a matter of hours, we need to think of something quick." "Yeah... Okay..." Nori mumbled. He could understand the sudden need to meet, considering the situation... But in his room!? This was his room! He didn't want anyone in here! "Why don't we just kill him and get it over with. Or better yet, wait until he leaves to the Human World and then infiltrate the Spire. Is that good enough?" Nekan shook her head while adding "The Spire will be in 'Earth. The two realms will merge as one larger Hell." Nori sat there, defeated. "Fine, then someone else think of something." he grumbled. Bailarin and Ardiente entered the room, their faces distraught, it had been a week, and neither of them had gotten much rest. Bailarin apologized for them both, "Sorry we're late..." Bailarin's Zanpakuto and Hell-Blade residing on both sides of her hips, their dagger forms both still and quite. Ardiente's large Zanpakuto strapped across her chest and back, her Hell-Blade, on the left side of her hip. Ardiente smirked, ''Finally, free... While Bailarin frowned, After this, I'll be free to be with Ardiente, but afterwards... will I ever see them again? Bailarin truly cared about the people she met here, for once, she wasn't alone... Sadow turned to her with a grief face "It seems we're all going to Earth to do this, and Bael may not be alone the entire time. This means we may run up to some opposition via our bosses." Smirking comfortably, Ardiente raised her hand up to her cheek, "Oh good for me, I want to pay back our superiors for last time we 'talked." Grinning almost sadisticly, Ardiente had a taste for vengeance and blood, while Bailarin did not... Bailarin frowned, "Alright, I don't feel like fighting allies, but... I'll do what I have to do." Sadow explained "They're not our allies. Whether they may like it or not, they are forever sided with Bael. So we'll have to fight them with everything we've got." Nori groaned. More people coming into his room. Great! Why don't they just invite all of Hell to come and have a meeting in his room! It's not like the other Hell-Hunters didn't have rooms! Why couldn't they just meet in their rooms!? "Our bosses aren't very strong..." he mumbled, recalling his fight with Wrath. It was like he let himself die in Los Noches. Sadow murmurs to himself "He's right, Shade easily defeated Greed which means... Somethings not right... They are being... restricted from using their true potential for some reason?" Shade walked in, and faked being offended by that comment. "Gee, Sad, can I have one moment where I'm better than your boss?" He grinned, "Damn, we got party here or what? What's our plan of attack?" Sadow smirked at him "'''Our former boss. And that's what we're discussing here now." "Is there really going to be a difference? If we leave, like, two of us behind to deal with all of the Cardinals, and then the others go and fight Bael, we'll have a good chance, won't we? I'm not saying that the two who volunteer to stay behind will win, or even survive; you'll be slaughtered. But you'll buy the rest of us time and secure our freedom. Any takers?" he offered, raising his hand. He'd do it! He'd fight all the Cardinals. It'd be easy. Especially since he knows he won't be winning. All he would have to do would be to fight at full power for a little while and hold them off while the others fought Bael. Sadow objected "That would be foolish. We need all of us if we are to catch Bael off guard. He could defend 2-3 Hell-Hunters before being overwhelmed so we have to take that advantage." "Oh? Then how do you suppose we get past the Cardinals, genius? It's not as if we can fight them without Bael noticing!" Nori screamed. Sadow smirked "It's a long-shot but... we'll have to rely on Bael's pride and arrogance to see us through. I doubt he'd even care and might even find it amusing if we betrayed him." Ardiente frowned, "I don't care who I attack, I'll follow whatever orders you give. But in the end, Lust is mine." Bailarin scoffed lightly, "I'll be ready, for whatever decision is made, I would prefer to stay with Ardiente, but I will work seperate if neccesary." Sadow smiled "Don't worry, we're all working together here. First to go down are the Cardinals, then Bael himself. But remember, we have to make him spill blood in the Spire. That is the key to getting Fukienzeru out." Nori refused to calm down. "We're all gonna die anyway." he grumbled, glaring at everyone in the room. Sadow frowned. "Nice optimism." he remarked sarcastically. "Alright, kill the fools, kill the king of fools." Ardiente smirked confidently. "And if all goes well, I won't have to see any of you again, in that case, I'll try my hardest." Offering a smug expression. Bailarin mentally growled, Ardiente was acting like this too often anymore... "I hope we can pull this off. I don't doubt our skills, but... one mistake, and I don't see a bright-future..." "Oh?" Nori perked up. "But I'd love to see you and Bailarin again! Are you telling me that you don't like any of us at all?" "No offense intended, but I wouldn't want to see any of you again. I hate taking orders, and I simply don't like you all." Adding with a quip, Ardiente added ruthlessly, "After this is done, and we succeed, me and Bailarin will go back to our 'normal' lives." Bailarin wanted to but-in, but at the moment, she was afraid to hear what she would think. "I-I, U-umm..." She stayed quiet, stopping her own stuttering, averting their gaze, she didn't want to leave honestly, she had made friends, she wanted to keep them... "Oh, I'm sorry Ardiente. You were talking so loudly I didn't hear Bailarin's response." Sadow turned to Nori and Ardiente back and forth with stern looks on each, his long bangs hiding his deep blue eyes "Our lives after this battle are our own. I don't really care what you all intend to do with your sweet-freedom and I don't plan on letting you know my plans because I doubt you care. However, for this battle we are what my family liked to call "battle-brothers". We will fight and possibly die holding each other's hands and looking out for one another. And if anyone lets go of the other's hand I will personally consider them with Bael. Got it?" He looked around at them. He wasn't good at being a leader but one thing he was damned sure about was he wasn't going to let anyone betray him and get away with it again. Ardiente answered Sadow, offering him a wary gaze. "Don't worry, we're all friends till this is over, then... well, things change." Bailarin bit her lip, she hoped Ardiente wouldn't think ill of her. "Well, Nori, Ardiente, I'd rather not just leave, I want to stay friends after this, I'd rather I get to know you all, I know it sounds crappy, but, I really don't want to go back to the way we lived Ardiente..." Ardiente's soul stopped, that's not what she wanted to hear. Grimacing mentally, but giving a facade, a cheery smile. "That's fine, you can stay friends." The second this is over, I don't plan on even looking at them again, and Bailarin is going to do the same... Nori stood, then sat down for no apparent reason. "That's not a very fair thing to say, Sadow..." He began, then considered his next words carefully. "In my own opinion, if there's not going to be a connection with any of us afterwards, then there's nothing keeping me-- or, another one of us-- from killing you all when we overthrow Bael, and then go on my way. All of us will be weakened considerably from the fight. So is there a reasons for us not to be friends afterwards?" The comment was indirectly aimed at Ardiente, though, most likely, they would begin to think it was about him. What retards. Sadow pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration "Fine, I'll buy you all a soda afterwards and we can all talk about our feelings, lives, problems, and how we can make the world a better place afterwards but quite honestly we have very little time and I don't want to die today because I have someone else whom I hate far worse than Bael. And he's gotta die." Bailarin gave a simple nod, they could talk about this later, and maybe not with so many prying eyes. Ardiente gave a quiet clap of the hands. "Then let the heads roll..." She was ready, and if need be, she'd find a way to confront Nori later about their... discussion. And if need be, she could always ask her Hell-Blade, Sangriento, about him, and whatever other information she needed. Before she discarded her of course, she didn't like weak tools. "Really? You'll buy me a soda?" Nori asked enthusiastically. That would be awesome! He wanted a soda! Maybe Sadow and him could be best friends, and go to the park together, and play video games, and go on killing sprees where they grusomely defiled the corpses of the people they killed so that it would lead to the hint of their next killing while fucking with the minds of the policemen that tried to solve the case and then they'd have to get L-... Oh, right. He didn't exist. "Well, all we can do for now would be to... Wait until the invasion starts." He decided lazily, leaping from his seat and into his bed. He pulled the covers over himself. He could sleep until it was time! "Look, no matter what the Hell happens, if any of you need somehing, find me. And Nori, Sad was being sarcastic." Shade cracked a smile, and walked out, saying, "Come get me when it's time." End of the World as we Knew it Bael smirked at his enormous army ready to march into Earth. His voice boomed out to it like thunder, ready to encourage every armoured being out there to give their very lives in the upcoming battle "Warrior's of Hell, hear my call, march forth to the land of the living and reap from them every soul you are offered up. And no matter what happens, even if your limbs themselves are torn away from your bodies, do not forgot the great cause for which your fight for! Now MARCH!" The armies sounded war cries and booming sounds echoed from horns blown at various points in the crowd. They marched through the portal, appearing as a large red Garganta in the skies above various cities. Sadow knocked on every Hell-Hunters' door to rally them. It was time. The moment of freedom has arrived. They all ran out of the Cardinal's Headquarters with their intent in mind. Meanwhile, as cities we're being laid to waste by the opposing force, every channel on every television in the world was hacked to be broadcast by Bael himself since the merger gave him some power over their world. He smirked at the people watching the screens intently. He began "The Earth was created in 6 days! So too shall it be destroyed! And on the seventh day... mankind will rest in PEACE!" They Hell-Hunters flew in front of Bael's throne, which rested floating in the skies above Karakura Town, it being a monumental place ever since the Hougyoku incident. The Hell-Hunters reached him as Sadow, at the front, declared "Not if we have anything to say about it you three-eyed bastard!" Bael turned to him with a surprised look "What? Your betraying me? Despite the fact that I am God to you people?" Ardiente smirked, drawing out her Zanpakuto, whispering to the blade few words. Today, we let the souls of our enemies burn... Cracking her neck, waiting to see the line of enemies before her. She wanted to take out any hinderances. Bailarin pulled out both her Zanpakuto and Hell-Blade, both in seperate hands, she knew that the day was going to end badly, whether it be for either side, it didn't matter. A few thoughts of her own lingering, Today, we remove a bane, from existance... Nori looked around silently. And the Cardinals were where...? He would not draw his Hell-Blade until he was needed. Which could be soon! Or not. Bael laughed loudly at this "Very well then! Carnal-Kings, attack!" Suddenly all 7 of the Cardinals appeared before the Hell-Hunters. Sloth stared blankly at Sadow, who was grinding his teeth at the sight of him, remembering his earlier beating. Envy mouthed a Sorry... expression toward Nori and pulled out Gelosia. Greed smirked and patted his shoulder with his static-baton as Wrath clenched his fists, allowing his destructive energy to resonate from them while both glanced at Shade. Lust looked at Ardiente and puckered her lips at her tauntingly. And Gluttony popped his knuckled while grimacing at Bailarin. The stage was set. A familiar reiatsu is then felt by all in the area. Heavy, dark, hollowfied reiatsu. Yes, it was him, Margin who was standing nearby. He swiped his hair upwards and grinned as he saw an army of demons. He cracked his knuckles and charged a cero pointing at Bael. "Hey '''HELLBOY! '''Who just told you to bring your playmates here?"